Army Chief Gen Suhag warns Pakistan on beheading-like incident

New Delhi: On his first day in office, Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag today warned Pakistan that India's response to any beheading-like incident in future would be "more than adequate, intense and immediate".

"I can tell you that our response to any such act will be more than adequate in future. It will be intense and immediate," he told reporters after his welcome Guard of Honour as Chief of Army Staff.

The new Army Chief was asked how did India give a 'befitting reply' to Pakistan after the beheading of Indian soldier Lance Naik Hemraj along the Line of Control in Poonch sector on January 8, last year by Pakistani troops.

Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag. Pic/AFP

Previous Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh had yesterday stated that India had given a befitting reply to Pakistan after the beheading incident. "It has been done. Please understand that when we use force, that use is from tactical to operational to strategic levels.

"When I mention that during that incident, it was aimed at operations at the tactical level, which have been undertaken. I think this has been done by the local commander, the Chiefs have nothing to do with it," Gen Singh had said.

Pakistani Special Forces under the Border Area Teams (BAT) had carried out the operation of beheading Hemraj and mutilating the body of Lance Naik Sudhakar Singh. Later in August, they had also killed five Indian troops in the same sector in a joint attack by Pakistani Special Forces and LeT terrorists.